Why?
by bobblehead.me
Summary: 'Hino…' Closing his eyes once more, he finally let darkness consume him, believing now, that he was happy to slip away in Hino's arms.
1. Chapter 1

**hellooo there :) my first La Corda D'oro story. hm, would _love_ some reviews :) because don't really know if this story is good or not... **

Late evening had arrived and Hino had a few hours or so to spend before she had to head home for the day. She made her way to the nearby park where she liked to perform to the beaming faces of the young children and their parents. Upon arrival, Hino knelt down to unpack her violin and bow and stood facing the wind as she readied herself for her most favourite song since she first picked up her violin. The very first song she heard on the violin, played by none other than Tsukimori Len.

_Ave Maria. _

Immediately she had fallen in love with the piece, and it was never forgotten in the many pieces of work she had to learn over the months. She had played many variations of it; in terms of her mood and the emotions she had been feeling at the time. They were the same notes, written on the same paper, yet each time she played held a different feel. The first time, which was right after she had heard Tsukimori play it, was gracious, as the magic from the violin translated the love in her heart to the brilliant sounds of the violin. When not realizing the connection between the violin and her heart, Hino had trouble reproducing the surprising beauty of the melody that she had done the first time she believed in the magic violin. But later, this had been repeated once more with the stunning duet with the person who accidently introduced her to the piece in the first place.

She positioned herself, ready to play the flowing notes of the piece. Closing her eyes, she let the violin and her mind take over as she effortlessly played Ave Maria. It was improving heaps; thanks to all the hard work she had put herself through, although it had definitely paid off. The notes sung out of the violin as a small crowd gathered around her to listen to her play. A figure hung around at the back, his face hidden by his broad hat and overly large coat. He blended into the crowd, making sure the violinist would not notice him. A smirk formed at the corner of his mouth as the fading light reflected off his glasses mysteriously.

Making his way back home from practice at school, Tsukimori was lost in thought as he rambled down the streets until he heard the faint, but distinctive sound of a violin. Stopping, he listened for a while. _There isn't enough power in the bow _he criticized in his mind. The blue haired prodigy paused as he listened intently, his feet bringing him closer to the sound of music.

_This song… could it be? Ave Maria? That must mean…_

It was! Hino Kahoko was playing her violin, although with not the highest level of technique, but with the grace and elegance of a star. He stopped in awe at the sight of her, her body slightly rocking in rhythm with the classical piece. He stayed with the rest of the crowd, planning on talking to her after she was done practicing. Glancing around, Tsukimori smiled at the people already entranced by her music.

_She can even affect the people she doesn't know,_ he mused to himself.

A slow sorrowful note ended the performance as a small round of applause woke Hino from her trance. Smiling so very gracefully, she thanked everyone before turning around to pack up for the day. Her thoughts were interrupted by a man in an overcoat and hat clearing his throat as he stared intently at her.

'H-Hello' She gave him a slightly confused smile.

'Your playing is truly magnificent. But I hope you know that it is not of the highest standard.' The man began.

'Ah? Mm. I know,' Hino smiled at the man, 'I try to practice as much as I can every day'

'Where do you learn the violin? Oh wait, that uniform? Am I not mistaken if I say that you are from Seiso Academy?' He looked emotionlessly at her.

'Ah, um yeah! I'm a second year student from Seiso Academy.' Hino replied, bowing low, 'Nice to meet you.'

The two began to converse about the violin, as the man seemed to know a lot about her school and the concours as well. All the while, Hino and the man were unaware of a cold stare being thrown their way by Tsukimori who had hid himself behind a wall as he eavesdropped on their conversation.

It became casual talk until the man bowed his head and stepped back, giving them considerable distance between the two. He pulled out an object from his pocket and began to fiddle with it casually in his hands.

There was silence, confusing Hino.

'Uh, is something wrong?' She asked.

The man refused to talk until he spoke in a husky whisper that was unlike his normal voice.

'Ah, such a lovely lady here before me. It's such a shame that I will eventually have to…' Pausing, the man lifted his head to reveal a sly smile on his face, '…kill you'

Hino's eyes immediately widened as the man leisurely approached her, revealing the item that he had been fiddling with was actually a knife. He held it up to the light, admiring the smooth sharpness of the metal.

'Let's see how I could kill such a passionate violinist like you. Stab in the heart? Slash to the stomach? Various stabs everywhere?' He chuckled to himself as he tossed up options in his head.

Hino couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was he talking about? Killing her?

'W-why?' She spoke in a shaky whisper.

He stopped his menacing advances.

'Why?' He asked amused, 'Why, you ask?'

And just like that, he burst into a series of maniac laughs. His calm physique melted away to show a true psychotic madman.

'BECAUSE I WANT TO!' he spat eagerly, his eyes seemed to be bulging out of his head as he began to swing the knife round and round, dancing in his crazed mind.

Hino was trapped. Her feet only allowed her to back into the fence, but not to run away as her mind yelled at her to.

The man suddenly stopped his dizzying act as he looked at her with bloodshot unblinking eyes. He walked back before abruptly charging at Hino with blade poised, ready for action.

'HINO!'

Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of Tsukimori before feeling two strong arms wrap around her body. A little gasp escaped as she realized it was Tsukimori who had one arm around her waist and his other, protectively holding her head to his neck. She could feel his heavy breaths on her neck as he pulled her closer to his chest. In no more than a few seconds, even before Hino could comprehend how Tsukimori was there and protecting her, she felt his body shudder under her as he threw his head back, screaming out in pain.

'TSUKIMORI-KUN!' Hino cried in horror as she felt his body go slightly limp in her arms. She didn't have the slightest idea of what had happened in the past minute so she reluctantly wrenched herself from him to gently bring him to the ground only to shriek when she saw what had brought her friend to the ground.

The knife had been fully imbedded in his back, a result of when Tsukimori had protected Hino from it stabbing her. The man, now weaponless, began to kneel down to retrieve his knife to plunge it into the right person's body, slightly annoyed at the sudden intrusion.

'NO!' Two hands roughly shoved at the man to the ground as he looked up to see a furious yet teary Hino towering over him.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING!' The screams were hurled one after the other, not letting him speak once.

'GET UP! GET UP RIGHT NOW!' Grunting the man picked himself up from the ground but only to be stopped from moving further by two strong yet trembling hands on his shoulders.

At first thinking she would engage him in some intimate conduct; he smiled seductively at her before realizing he was completely wrong. A knee connected with his ever most precious region sending him back to the ground, rolling about with sudden pain. Apparently, that didn't stop a fuming Hino who had lost all sense of civilized behaviour from falling to the ground on top of him, pulling his legs apart once more and continuously kneeing him until he was crying like a baby. Two times. Three times. Four times. The pain was unbearable as he struggled from her surprising grip and get up and stagger away from the hysterical girl.

Hino stood up and glared at the direction in which the man disappeared to, her breaths coming out in shaky gasps. Hino suddenly realized what her real priority was as she spun around and ran towards a badly bleeding Tsukimori.

'TSUKIMORI-KUN! Hang in there please! The ambulance is on their way, Tsukimori-kun!' Hino frantically looked for any signs that he might still be conscious when his eyes slightly parted to look at her watery ones.

'H-Hino?' he whispered.

'Tsukimori..kun' She breathed out a relieved sigh, 'Thank goodness you're still alive, but hang in there okay?'

Tsukimori managed a weak nod before his eyes widened as he felt Hino lean her body towards him to envelope his head in a comforting hug. Using the last bit of strength left to stay conscious and not fall into the world of blackness that he knew would soon overcome him, Tsukimori breathed in Hino's scent but winced at the pain accompanying the hypnotic smell of her.

'Hino…' Closing his eyes once more, he finally let darkness consume him believing now, that even though he had a knife protruding from his back, he was happy to slip away in Hino's arms.

**..so? did you like it? please please review cos i dont' really know how i went with this. ...there'll be a next chapter...for those who were interested :D**


	2. Chapter 2

_Beep, beep, beep_

"Tsukimori-kun… why? Why did you protect me? Why were you there?" Hino gazed at the boy lying motionlessly, sandwiched between blindingly white sheets of the hospital bed.

It was the day after the terrible incident with the freak of a man and Hino's dear friend, Tsukimori. He had only come out of surgery a few hours ago and was still under the strong effects of the anesthetic. The steady beeping of the machine wired up to him was the only way Hino still knew he was alive. Not even his chest had the slightest of movements, which slightly worried her. She had stayed the whole night, after considerable persuasion to her mum. Still, it was a sleepless one, and Hino was certainly feeling the effects. No one else knew about what had happened yet, and Hino didn't plan on telling anyone till Tsukimori was at least conscious and able to talk to her.

Plopping herself on the hard chair next to the bed, Hino let her eyelids droop, hoping to get some sleep before Tsukimori woke. It was only minutes before the only noises in the room were the quiet beep and slow, calm breathing.

* * *

'_Kahoko' I looked up to see his lean topless body in front of me, mysterious hazes of purple black clouds floating by us. He took several steps forward until I could feel his breath on my frozen face._

'_Kahoko' He repeated. My eyes widened a little when I realized he was whispering my first name instead of the usual 'Hino'._

'_W-What do you want?' I whispered, suddenly realizing how close we really were to each other. _

'_Look at me Kahoko' It was more of an order, than a reply. I fearfully took my eyes from the gorgeous smooth grooves of his neck to meet his piercing eyes, only to realize he had further closed the gap between us as his lips inched closer to mine. I backed away slightly, only to feel my back connect with something hard. Glancing back, I looked in confusion as I saw a solid wall consisting of moving purple smoke. His arm extended next to me to steady himself against the wall as his other hand rested itself on my left cheek. My eyes could not tear away from him, nor would they shut and enjoy the moment, as his was doing. Mouth slightly agape, I could feel his warm lips touch mine for a split second. Then another quick brush. It was as if he was teasing me. He pressed his lips to mine, delicately taking in my taste and gentle feel. Even though I knew it was coming, I could not help but stand in shock, my mouth not moving with his. It took a few moments of his kisses to realize I was not co-operating. Somehow, some part of my mind shoved common sense out of my head as I gingerly started to kiss him back. We kept it gentle, portraying deep passion and love for each other, something I never knew was inside me. Had I not realized all this time that I loved the arrogant boy in front of me? Our kisses began to deepen as I felt his arm drop from the wall to wind around my waist while the other stayed on my cheek. I slowly brought my hands up to curl around his neck, feeling his warm body pressing against mine as he gently placed a last kiss on my lips before dropping his head, giving us the air we so desperately needed._

'_Kahoko,' he gasped. _

_I recovered, looking at him curiously, as to why he was still panting, as if he had just run a marathon. He was trying to talk but started to cough dangerously as he wheezed out the words._

'_Kaho.. I..' he spluttered, 'I..love you Kahoko.' _

_My eyes widened as I saw the formerly strong Tsukimori drop to his knees as a fine line of drool formed at the end of his mouth._

Wait, _my mind thought, _that's..not drool? It's.. a deep crimson colour, _I audibly gasped at the realization. _

'_Tsukimori-kun?' I knelt down next to him to lift up his head. I almost fell backwards at what I saw. His sharp golden eyes turned bloodshot, blood forming a thin stream on his face, dripping down and splattering on the cloudy ground below us._

'_Tsukimori-kun!' He looked as though he really couldn't breathe now, air rushing out of him in raspy shallow gasps as a weak hand flew up to grip my shirt as he tried to recover from the mystery attack. _

_He looked into my eyes once more, the bloodshot fading slightly to reveal new strong emotions in his previously cold eyes; sadness, loneliness…love._

_A moment later his hand became lifeless as it fell from my shirt to the ground. His eyes closed midway as his head felt like stone in my hand. His whole body lost form as it slowly slipped from my grasp to lie in an awkward position on the ground. Dead._

_

* * *

_

'TSUKIMORI-KUN!' Hino shot up from her chair but immediately fell back down, the stiffness causing her to unintentionally groan aloud.

_What was that? _She thought in wonder. _Tsukimori-kun…kissed me. Then..he..he confessed that he loved me. _She looked down at her palms that had already started to sweat and brought a hand to her heart, feeling the quickening beat under her clothes. _But Tsukimor-kuni, he just died didn't he? He confessed then died!'_

Tsukimori-kun!' She got up from her seat to rush over to a still unconscious boy as she breathed a sigh of relief.

_But just what kind of dream was that? _

She looked thoughtfully at him as she knelt down to unpack her violin, hoping to quicken his awakening by playing a couple of pieces she needed work on. Gathering the violin and bow and putting it in position, Hino began to play a slow sorrowful song. She tried to put as much emotion as she possibly could into the piece, but her mind kept getting sidetracked back to her recent dream and the meaning behind it all. The melody started to waver, occasionally hitting a few wrong notes as she strained to keep the song in peace. Sighing, she dropped her rigid position and turned her attention back to Tsukimori. She placed a gentle hand on his cold cheek as she thought aloud.

'Tsukimori-kun, do you..love me? Was that the meaning of my dream? But..but why did you..die?'

Hino swept her eyes over the peaceful face of her friend, before resting on his lips. A vivid flashback of her dream captured the moment of when he had leant down to kiss her. Subconsciously, she brought her head forward, keeping her eyes locked on his sleeping ones as she brought her lips closer to his. Closer and closer still before reality hit home. Frozen, realizing what she was just about to do to an unconscious boy, Hino was about to draw back quickly, only to stiffen under the touch of a hand brushing delicately along her cheek. A hand belonging to a certain blue haired prodigy.

'T-T-Tsukimori-kun!' She stuttered, shifting uneasily at the closeness of them both but strangely unable to separate the distance herself as the silence dragged on.

'That was terrible playing'

**Oooh so Tsukimori's awake now..wheee next chapter should be fun ;D anyway, please review on how I went. Sorry for OOC. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A little romance in this chapter. Bear with me if its gay. Anyway, enjoy! oh this is in Tsukimori's POV btw**

**Oh crap, have I done a disclaimer yet? =\**

**I DO NOT OWN LA CORDA D'ORO PRIMO PASSO. ...there. :) **

_Beep, beep, beep_

Letting my eyes stay closed, I tuned my ears to what was going on around me, where I was and all. I could hear gentle breathing beside me as I risked a peak to find Hino slouched uncomfortably in a chair, deep in sleep. _Hino? What.. are you doing here? _I painfully turned my head around to find looming machines all connected to me in some way and the unmistakable beeping of a machine, announcing my vulnerable heart beat to the world. I hated those machines, nothing could be kept a secret, and if my heart raced, but not like it would of course, it would be blatantly obvious to those surrounding me.

I sighed deeply, feeling dull pain in my upper back, becoming conscious of the unusual pillow, supporting my back and so that no pressure would be applied to my injury. _Injury? Wait.. why am I injured? Oh, that's right. I .. protected Hino from that .. that monster. _My breath came out shuddering as I remembered the crazed look on his face. I closed my eyes once more, trying to distract my mind from the headache forming. I heard fidgeting beside me as Hino's face scrunched up in her dreams. _Hino… _she had looked so peaceful before, sleeping on the hard chair. Even a little cute I had to admit. But her mystery dream looked as though it made her really suffer and I felt a strange pang in my chest as I watched her agonize over the nightmare.. alone. I wanted to get up and pull her into a hug, to tell her everything was alright now, but being the 'cool' guy I was, I knew it wouldn't be me to go and comfort her like that. _It would just confuse her further_ I sighed, defeated. I slowly turned my head back so I was looking up at the bare ceiling, hearing the quickening breaths of Hino. The effects of the anaesthetic hadn't complete faded from my system as I felt another wave of fatigue wash over me. Closing my eyes once more, I adopted slow deep breathing as I waited for Hino to wake up.

'TSUKIMORI-KUN!' I jumped slightly at hearing a voice so loud after so long. I had never expected her to wake up so suddenly, and sounding so scared either. I listened to her ungracefully hit the chair as soon as she had risen, probably due to the stiffness of sitting in the position for so long. It hurt me to hear her raspy breathing yet I refrained myself from moving too much to make sure she didn't know I was conscious yet. I don't know why really, why I didn't want her to know that I was awake and well, but I kept quiet for the time being, until I really couldn't resist the urge to talk any longer. Her breathing evened out until it seemed she had gained control of her nerves until,

'Tsukimori-kun!' I felt a brush of wind as I suddenly sensed her quivering body leaning over me. I heard her release a breath of relief. I could feel those gentle eyes of hers gazing down at my 'sleeping' face. She moved off, to kneel down in front of her.. violin case? I heard the Velcro strap scrape away as it was pulled for Hino to freely lift her violin out of its case, the bow quickly following suite. Even though my eyes remained shut, I could easily imagine her eyes swiftly closing, elbow slightly out of the proper position as she readied herself for playing. _Why would she be playing though? Maybe so I could wake up quicker…_ The first few notes were okay, I guess. But it seemed to only deteriorate after that. The violin squeaked here and there as my mind mentally winced at the poor performance. Maybe her nightmare was affecting her playing? Her usual deep emotions this time could only portray anxiety and worry. The playing continued for a little longer before silence suddenly sliced the room until she breathed out a heavy sigh. _Even she knows that wasn't great_.. Footsteps could be heard as my still sleeping mask was touched by the warm yet slightly sweaty skin of her delicate fingers. She caressed my face so lovingly and kindly, I couldn't help but melt under her touch yet my face remained still.

'Tsukimori-kun, do you … love me? Was that the meaning of my dream? But.. but why did you.. die?'

My heart nearly stopped and crashed when I heard those words being whispered to me. Was I too obvious when I protected her? Was I not subtle enough when it came to caring for her? But then, was that her nightmare? That I had died? But what had caused her to believe that I loved her? My calm demeanour was violently faltering as I struggled to keep it in place. I fought overpowering instincts to open my eyes and reassure the girl standing over me. To protect her from any further confusion and harm. I was about to speak, and break the terrible silence when I felt a curtain of hair fall gently on my face. It tickled slightly as my eyes barely opened to adjust to a waterfall of glossy red hair. _Wait, so much of her hair is touching me. … that must mean … _my eyes opened wider to see her head only millimetres from mine. Well, her lips to be exact. I managed to stifle a little gasp as I realised what she was about to do. My body silently buzzed, impatiently waiting for the feel of her caring lips. She froze suddenly, and I realised she was about to pull away. Unnoticed by my mind and Hino, my left hand, free of all tubes, reached up and gently started to stroke Hino's cheek, the same way she had caressed my face. I could feel her stop under my touch as her eyes stiffly turned to meet mine.

'T-T-Tsukimori-kun!'

I really couldn't help myself at this point. I knew I would regret it later, especially after she had confessed her dream to an 'unconscious' me, but I just had to tell her …

'That was terrible playing.'

Silence.

Words finally sinking in, Hino roughly broke away from the intimate contact.

'Ehhhh? You were awake while I was playing?' Her eyes widened in shock.

'Yeah' I said bluntly. My iciness had to be kept in place; for the time being anyway. I, myself didn't even know when I could drop it a little to show how much I cared for Hino.

'Oh' was all she could say. 'Ahh, ah gomen. I-I was thinking about something else and it sort of side tracked me I guess.'

'It was the dream you had wasn't it?' I knew I was stepping on dangerous grounds but I left my face unreadable.

She gave a small nod before dropping her gaze to look somewhere else, obviously troubled by it.

'Tell me about it,' I paused hesitantly, 'maybe I can help'

Her head jerked up at my offer but she smiled sadly and shook her head.

'I-It's nothing to worry about. I – ah' A sole tear slid down her face as I look at her in a moment of panic.

'Hino?' I cautiously lift myself from a lying position to a sitting one, but only to grab the attention of Hino as she stumbled towards me, helping me up.

'Uh, Arigato,' I thanked her a little awkwardly, 'anyway, tell me what your dream was. I-I want to help.'

Her eyes, still a little teary, met mine as she swept down to engulf me in a hug. My eyes widened as I could feel my face heat up a little from the sudden contact. But just as soon as it had come, the warmth disappeared as tears threatened to spill over her face once more.

'I.. You.. died.' Hino managed weakly.

'Hino, explain properly. I don't understand.' I mentally cursed myself for speaking so coldly towards her.

She took a deep breath as she recollected the pieces of the dream floating in her mind, 'We were .. together, then you suddenly came and .. kissed me.' She looked fearfully at me as I digested this information, without showing much emotion.

'Go on' I urged.

'Ah, then you.. said you loved me.' There was a large pause as she dropped her head, as if she couldn't bring herself to say the last part.

'Then.. you.. you..-'

'Died?' I finished for her.

She looked back up at me, the tears now freely flowing down her face. I had never seen her so upset in my life. It hurt me to realise that she was crying over me. Without saying anything, I gently guided her to sit on the edge of the bed as I curled my arms around her petite frame. Her body trembled slightly as she slowly relaxed in my strong hold. I dropped my head to rest against her shoulder, only to pull back almost immediately as my back muscles screamed from the sudden pain. I opted for her head instead, as I stroked it comfortingly, hoping to calm a somewhat scared Hino down. This would've been the perfect excuse to kiss her, right there and then. But of course, that little voice in my head, always going against my heart, told me to just keep holding her as to not scare her further. My eyes closed midway as I thought about what she had just told me. _I kissed her, confessed then .. died? Kiss… I kissed her.. did she like it? Was I rough or gentle? How did I die? What if.. What if I only did the first part.. and that was it? Would that calm her down? Maybe one wouldn't hurt.. would it? _

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep_

_Dammit. _I cursed in my mind. This is exactly why I hate those machines. My racing heart quickly alerted Hino as she looked up from my chest with a somewhat concerned face.

'Tsukimori-kun? You're… you're heartbeat is suddenly a lot faster.. are you – "

Her question was rudely cut off by my impatient mouth on hers. I could feel her burning yet questioning gaze on my closed eyes. Quicker than I expected, I felt her mouth slowly moving with mine as we passionately began to deepen it. I let my tongue lazily slide across her bottom lip as I nibbled lightly on it. I wasn't entirely sure if Hino knew what I meant by it but soon enough, that small window of opportunity opened up for me as my curious tongue glided into her mouth. I heard her gasp for a second before a slow vibration travelled from deep in her throat that only further strengthened my desire for her. I explored her mouth, delicately tracing around the grooves of her soft cheeks and playfully tickled the roof of her mouth. After a while, my own tongue was forcefully pushed back by hers, fighting me out of her mouth and eventually into mine. She let another moan escape as our tongues continued to dance around in our mouths. Her arms had wound up around my neck as was roughly pushing as much of her body as she could against mine, while making sure I would not be in pain although all my sensitive nerves were sending me were the ecstatic feeling of pleasure than pain. My hand was still gently stroking her soft hair as my other arm snaked around her waist. When we both could not take any more, I took the chance for us to breathe to place a line of kisses from the corner of her mouth to her ear where I licked gently and nibbled at the lobe. Breathing heavily, I moaned directly into her ear and felt her shiver in response. A genuine smile cracked through my icy mask as she turned her head to look into my eyes. It was so unlike me to do such a thing, but, just like my mother had said, this girl really did have the magic to open up my cold heart. I sighed contently as I brought her into another hug.

We stayed like that for quite a while, not a word spoken until Hino realised she had forgotten to say something.

'T-Tsukimori-kun, a-arigato…' She burrowed her head deeper into my chest. Knowing what she was trying to say, I responded by planting a kiss on her soft hair.

'A-Anyway, everything's fine now,' she unwillingly unwound herself, got up and wiped the remains of her tears with her sleeve as she smiled bravely at me, 'you're here and alive and you're not too badly hurt right now from your injury.'

'Hino..' I could only manage, feeling another wash of fatigue as I involuntarily let out a yawn.

'Oh, gomen. But, that's right. There's been one question that's hasn't stopped bugging me ever since .. that day.' I heard her take a deep breath, 'Why-why did you protect me?'

I was actually taken aback by her question.

'Why did I protect you?' I gave her a surprised look, 'Well, anyone would have protected you from that monster!'

'Well, yes I guess I got that part. But what I don't get was why you _protected_ me? If you didn't want me injured, couldn't you have ..uh I don't know, maybe pushed him away when he was about to strike? Maybe, that way .. you didn't have to get hurt.'

'Oh' I turned my head to face the window, not wanting to sound stupid any longer. 'I guess I … didn't really think about it at the time.'

I turned my head back to look at her, my face still slightly warm from embarrassment. She smiled gracefully at me, letting out a loose giggle.

'Ah, gomen,' she said seeing my slightly shocked face. 'Tsukimori-kun, deep down you really are a nice person. … Arigato … for everything.'

I was wrapped up in another warm hug, full of love and compassion before she quietly got up, tidied herself and walked towards the door.

'Sleep now, Tsukimori-kun. I'll come visit soon.' And with a smile, she was gone.

**Chapter 3 is finished! yayers. Please, please review on what I could improve? Or any other feedback for that matter.. I would love it so much :) oh and sorrryyyy for OOC… anyway, i'm not sure what to write for the 4th chapter, so i'll only keep writing if i get reviews ;) **


	4. Chapter 4

_Tsukimori-kun, I'm practicing really hard. Tsukimori-kun, I hope you will hear my improvement. Tsukimori-kun, please, this is for you!_

Her arms were sore from holding the violin up for so long. Little grooves lined her fingers from where she had held down the strings of the violin. Her back ached from natural slouching. Her neck refused to loosen up. Hino Kahoko was totally worn out. She sighed as she finally gave herself a needed break, placing her instrument back in its case. Walking over to a seat, she glanced at the time. It was getting late, and she was probably one of the last remaining students in the school to stay behind to practice in one of the music rooms. Her mind drifted to other things, what was for dinner that night, what time would she force herself out of the school and back home, and the one that bugged her the most; was Tsukimori alright… alone.

'Hino Kahoko!' Glittery chimes and sparkles floated down to Kahoko's line of vision as she looked up, startled from the disruption.

'Lili! What are you doing here?'

'I live in the school.. what else am I doing here? But I could ask you the same thing!'

'Oh.. right. Well I'm just practicing my pieces, that's all.' Her voice was distant.

He looked apprehensive. 'I know it's a good thing, but you're practicing a lot more than usual. Is anything wrong?' He flew down to face her.

'Ah? No, nothing's wrong.' She grinned at him, trying to erase any doubts.

'Okay then Hino, keep going, it's sounding really great! He pulled the corners of his mouth into a fake smile. _Something's wrong… _Without thinking further, he floated back off into the space of the room and with a large circular motion with his wand, the familiar portal of sparkles opened up for him. With a last wave, Lili disappeared.

Kahoko heaved a deep sigh as she sat back down. She had been out of it for days, often replaying the imagery in her mind over and over. She had to pick up the pieces, gather information and fit them together into one. She had to understand the meaning behind each little detail; nothing could be left unknown to her. She wanted to know. No, she _needed_ to know. What was the meaning behind the kiss? Was it just to comfort her back in her unstable mind? That could only be it couldn't it? There was no way a prodigy like Tsukimori could love a girl who only had the passion of her violin to go by. Could it? There were still too many holes in the puzzle, too many questions. Conclusions were easily reached, yet harder to comprehend. Nearly every day she had brooded over these things, and only a few days ago had her mind came to one solution for it all. She would practice harder than she ever would. Perform this song to him, and only to him. What would his reaction be? Would he keep nitpicking like he normally did? Or would feelings from that moment in the hospital come through once more. It was sort of a test, really. To see what everything meant by it. This would be the clue for the final pieces of a puzzle she didn't know the picture of. But she was determined, she needed to know why.

Kahoko looked back down at her empty hands. They were still a little red from practice but she ignored that, picking up her violin once more. She had the love and passion of playing; that was easily accessible whenever she needed to perform; it was the technique she struggled with. A beginner like her playing such difficult pieces just to keep to the standards of the concours was stressful, and many times along the line did she really doubt her true ability. She sighed; _this is why I need to practice! I need to show Tsukimori-kun I'm capable! _

She was about to begin again, to focus everything on the technique of the violin, when the buzz of her phone interrupted.

'Hello?'

'Kaho! Where are you! Do you know what time it is? It's nearly 6, get back home now, we're having dinner soon!'

'Eh? H-hai, I'll be there shortly.' Shutting the phone, she sigh again. Geez, time really didn't wait for her, she still wanted to keep practicing.

Kahoko took her time packing her violin, placing it gently and securing it tightly with the strap. With the violin back in its case, she transferred her books into one hand and shut the door of the music room quietly. The orange evening sky plus the quiet chirping of birds painted a calm scenery as the slim figure of the girl walked out of the school grounds and blended in with the crowd of everyday life.

* * *

'So, in short, you saved a girl from getting stabbed by protecting her? And in the process, you were stabbed in the back.' Tsukimori's father summarized.

Tsukimori's face was blank, a little cold maybe as to why his parents had bothered to come visit him. They had pointed out the obvious reason of him being their son and someone they loved. He only countered with the topic of upcoming concerts, saying how it was rude for them not to turn up to a concert in which they would be a special guest.

'Len!' They had said, exasperated. 'Anyone could be forgiven for not turning up to a concert to visit their son who's in hospital!'

There was reason behind it of course, but Tsukimori didn't want to be a burden to his parents' career.

'Len.. Len.' The gentle voice of his mother broke through his thoughts. 'I would like to know. This girl you protected… could it possibly have been Hino-san?'

Tsukimori involuntarily gritted his teeth at the question. Underneath the sheets, his hands balled up into fists as he avoided eye contact with his mum. 'That is… none of your concern.'

'I see.' She gave him a knowing smile, even with the cold remark, she was happy. She needed to thank Hino-san for everything. She was glad that girl had given her son something she couldn't provide. It was something technique, money or fame could never give. She silently got up to place a kiss on Tsukimori's forehead.

'We'll be taking our leave now,' she informed, 'please, get some rest and we'll see you as soon as possible.'

He nodded good bye to his parents and sank lower into the uncomfortable bed, finally able to be alone at last. His mind, today, did not drift off to her, but to his mum. What would she be thinking? Even though he hadn't directly said that the girl he saved was Kahoko, did she know? What conclusions would she be jumping to? _Len, it would be best if you found love in your life. _She had said that numerous times already. Had he found love? .. With Kahoko? No. He shook his head. _Impossible. _I .. she wouldn't love me. Even though in her dream… _it doesn't matter anyway_, he mentally reminded himself. He would have to practice twice as hard to make up for this disruption. Even though he was denying it, a single thought would not stop from popping up again and again.

She hadn't come to visit him.

**4 things. 1: sorry if this chapter/tsukimori's part is a little short. 2: please review, much appreciated! 3: thanks Ramen Owl for the idea :) and 4: chapter 5 coming soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Today was the day. Today she would perform to Tsukimori. Was she ready? She had to be, considering all the practice she had done. Those unintentional mistakes couldn't be fixed, but she was pretty confident she would do well. All was left was to prepare herself for whatever response she would be getting. She had felt guilty; she hadn't seen him since _that_ afternoon. Was he getting the wrong message? Did he think she didn't want to see him anymore? She'd clear it up though; explain that she had been practicing so hard, just for him. With violin in one hand, music sheet neatly tucked under her arm, Hino Kahoko let her recognisable red hair gently flow in the wind as she walked towards the hospital, managing to do brisk window shopping on her way.

* * *

With a casual hand swung over left his shoulder while holding a heavy case, a young man walked down the streets of Tokyo, planning on meeting his brother a few blocks down. He was in a happy mood, with no particular reason, being him of course. He started whistling a cheery little tune but when turning the corner, a swing of fiery redness caught his eye, making his happy heart suddenly jump into overdrive.

'Kaho-chaaaaaan~! Ohayo!' He called, waving his hand wildly in the air and rushing like only a kid would do.

The person stopped walking, turned around swiftly and gave an enthusiastic Hihara a warm smile and a wave with her free hand while the other held onto her maroon violin case.

'Aieee!' He stopped in his tracks, half because he was going to crash into her and half because her smile had pierced something deep within his chest.

'Hihara-sempai? Is anything wrong?'

'I-ie … it's nothing!' He smiled while laughing nervously, hoping she didn't pick up any hints.

'Ah okay then, where are you going?'

'Mm, I'm meeting my brother at the basketball courts; we're going to practice a few shots before heading home.' He beamed. 'What about you Kaho-chan?'

He smiled happily at her, only to realise her head was lowered, as if she was debating about something in her mind.

'Kaho-chan?'

'Ah, Hihara-sempai? Do you have time?' she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

'Of course! Why? Do you have something in mind?'

'Ah mm, could you please come with me? I'll explain on the way.'

'Eh? Okay just let me call my brother first.'

* * *

_It's okay if I do this right? Maybe I won't need to perform to Tsukimori-kun today. After all, there's no harm in doing any extra practicing. And I think others should know about what happened with Tsukimori-kun. Okay then, I won't perform today, although it might be a little bit weird if I suddenly turn up after a week or so with Hihara-sempai. No, it doesn't matter; this is giving me more time, I should be grateful.

* * *

_

'Yep, he said it's okay, let's go Kaho-chan!' His face was unable to keep his grin hidden any longer; he had Kaho-chan all to himself now.

'Ah, ano, please don't be too surprised Hihara-sempai,' Kahoko started.

'Nm, please, I want to know.'

'Arigato, okay, a few days ago I was playing my violin in the park when a man I didn't know came up to me. He knew our school so we started talking about it. He sounded nice at first, I guess.'

'At first?' Hihara looked at her as they continued to walk down the lively streets.

There was no response at first, as if Kahoko didn't want to continue with the story.

'Ah, Kaho-chan, you don't have to continue if you don't want to.' Hihara gave himself a mental pat on the back for being considerate as his lips twitched upwards.

'Ah, gomen, no I need to continue, you'll need to know before we arrive. Oh, that's right. I think Tsukimori-kun was in the park when I was playing, so he came as well, although I didn't see him.' She hesitated, '..until later.'

'Go on..' he said cautiously.

'Well, the man I didn't know… he .. was actually in a mental hospital I think, he possibly escaped from it.'

'M-mental hospital? Kaho-chan! What happened?'

'He suddenly turned.. insane I guess, and pulled out a knife.' Her voice softened as she continued, 'he was going to stab me.. but .. Tsukimori-kun intervened.'

'Ehhhhh? S-So Tsukimori s-saved you? Then.. w-where are we going?' A vague idea formed in his bewildered mind though he was scared to confirm.

'He was stabbed instead of me. We're going to the hospital to visit him.'

* * *

'Okay Minako, please rest and get well soon.'

A young girl in the hospital bed gave the teenager a nod and smiled sadly after him.

'Visit me soon,' she pleaded, 'I get so lonely here.'

He only returned the smile and nod, closing the door quietly and walking down the corridor of bustling people.

'Oh my God, so like, did you hear about that patient who like, saved a girl from getting stabbed?"

'Oh my God, I know right? That is like, so totally romantic. I wish a guy would do that for me.'

Two busty women, presumably nurses, were walking behind the young man as he had exited the room. They had obviously opted for uniforms more than a few sizes smaller than what was actually comfortable for them. He sighed inwardly at their chattering nonsense, wondering who the person in charge of recruiting new staff was.

'Gosh, did you have a look at him though? He is like, so hot!'

'I know right, like wow, do you think he's got a girlfriend?'

'Gah, he saved a girl from getting stabbed, use your brains!'

'You know, a few minutes ago I think I heard that they were playing like, instruments in that room.'

_Seriously, they're still talking about this guy? _He sighed irritably.

'Uh definitely! I think it was like, uh, a violin and some, I don't know, like a horny instrument?'

'Oh my God, did you just say … horny?'

'I totally did!'

_Cue annoying high pitched giggles._

Uncontrollable laughter from the two girls filled the hall as they continued to clomp around in their outrageous heels.

_Wait.. violin and .. horn instrument? French horn? Well, don't exactly think they know what a French horn is anyway.. Trumpet maybe… ? That means.. _

'Uh, excuse me.. ladies. Where is this man that you said to have saved a girls' life?' The young man stopped to turn around and give the best forced smile he could muster.

'Oh, well excuse you for eavesdropping!' Despite the insult, the two continued their girlish giggles.

'Uh.. could you please tell me quickly? I'm in a hurry.'

'Uh fine, whatever. But like, you're kinda cute. Mind talking to us for a little while longer?'

_Crap._

An arm was woven around the man's left arm as he looked in horror to see his arm being sandwiched between the busts of the blond haired nurse.

'My, you are so totally muscly! You know, I just love muscly men.' The blond haired winked cheekily.

'Agh! Uh, please .. let go of me, I'm in a rush!'

'Don't think you're going anywhere,' Blondie's friend, Brunette had found his right arm and was pressing her busts against him as well.

_What do these girls think their doing? _He suppressed a growl as he struggled with the surprising strength of them.

'Oh my God, hey what if he wants to ask that guy how he protected that girl?'

'Oh my God, you know, I think you're totally right!'

Brunette turned to face the man who had shown no signs of the weaknesses that men would normally succumb to when being 'tortured' like this.

'Maybe you want to help _us_ if we're in trouble?' His eyebrow twitched at the remark as he turned his head stiffly to look back at Brunette. Both were looking at him with stupid expectant eyes as they giggled away.

'I'll tell you one more time,' his voice was uncharacteristically cold, 'please let go of me and tell me which room he is in.'

_Geez, look what you girls subjected me to,__even talking like that Tsukimori guy…_

Blondie and Brunette finally let go of his arms, possibly annoyed as to why their bust treatment didn't work on this man.

Brunette recovered first, but not in the way he was hoping for. 'Fine, whatever, be that way. We were going to like, give you the opportunity of your lifetime you know? But, whatever just reject us like that! Like come on, you didn't even ask us for our names! Even though you're cute, that attitude is so not on! That really cut deep you know.'

Blondie scoffed. 'Honey, let's not like, bother about him anymore.' She turned to him, 'I think he's in Room 16, down the hall.'

Not even bothering acknowledge or even look back, he powerwalked down to the other end of the corridor, sighing in exasperation. The man ran a hand through his messy hair as he heard the distant but distinct sounds of a trumpet and a violin.

_Gavotte? _

He reached Room 16, peering in through the frosted window of the door. It was cloudy, no doubt, but no one could mistake that red hair that only belonged to his friend. _Kahoko._ He inspected the people in the room further, an older boy with a trumpet. _Hihara-sempai as well?_ _Well, he's obviously not the one injured, he's standing up and playing. _

Pressing his face against the disruptive glass, the man squinted to try and identify the person on the bed. Hino's body was swaying with the music but was blocking his view of the patient's face. She took a step back in time with the music, and this allowed the subject's identity to be revealed. The young man almost tripped on his own feet in shock. He stood there, stunned for a few moments or so; his face pressed childishly against the glass. His breathing became rapid shallow gasps as his eyes were as wide as they could be. He backed away slowly into the opposite wall; as he slid down to comprehend what he had seen.

_The person who had apparently saved Hino was .. was .. TSUKIMORI?'_

Clearly taken aback by what he had seen, he silently got up and was about to leave when he heard the door click open. Frozen and unable to think of some way to hide his appearance, he could only stiffen at the sound of a female voice.

"Tsuchiura-kun?"

'Oh! Hino, what are you doing here?' he stopped walking away from the accusing door to face her blankly.

'Ah, mm, come inside. I think you might as well want to know as well.' She smiled gracefully up at him.

He silently walked with her in mock confusion. He knew exactly well what Kahoko wanted to tell him but he acted dumb, for the sake of being safe.

He entered the room, faking each emotion he felt. The room was filled with unknown tension as Tsuciura broke the silence, as he would've logically done if he had just found out.

'Tsukimori? What.. what happened?'

Tsukimori's response was naturally cold. He scoffed at the question and turned his head slightly towards the window.

'Oi, what's with that attitude?' Tsuchiura took a step forward, voice raising higher in annoyance, 'I just asked you a question anybody else would've asked!'

'Ah, guys, guys! If you would like I'll tell him what happened,' she turned towards a seething Tsuchiura, 'I was playing in the park and a stranger came and started talking to me. He seemed nice, but then he suddenly turned scary and threatened me with a knife. Tsukimori was actually there before and ... ,' she paused to take a breath and ready herself, '… took the stabbing for me.'

Tsuchiura couldn't think. Although he already knew, hearing Kahoko say it herself felt as if a soccer ball of metal had just hit him square in the face. He glanced at the people in the room, unsure of himself.

'I.. uh.. oh' Words had failed him, leaving his mouth open and hanging. The emotions running havoc in his mind.

'It's okay, Tsuchiura-kun,' she reached out to comfort him, 'I know this is sudden but eventually everyone will have to know about it.'

'Oh, Tsuchiura?' Hihara's cheery voice was a small welcome relief.

'Hm?'

'What were you doing in the hospital?'

_Damn it. _He knew this question would've been inevitable, but seeing the patient was Tsukimori, he thought they'd let his presence go.

'I uh, have a relative in hospital.'

'Really?' That one sentence seemed to have caught Kahoko's attention as well, 'Who is it?'

'If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer not to talk about it.'

'Ah, gomen, Tsuchiura-kun.' Kahoko bowed, with Hihara following suite, 'I won't ask anymore.'

Unaware by all three, Tsukimori sighed in frustration. _A relative eh? Even Tsuchiura would visit his relative. Of course. Maybe I was too harsh towards my parents the other day.. No, this is different. _He's_ different.. _

Tsuchiura groaned slightly at the way things had turned out for him, deciding suddenly that he would leave and headed for the door. 'Well, I'm glad you're okay Hino.' A heavy hand fell on her shoulder as she looked in confusion at Tsuchiura's bowed head.

'I need to get home, it's late.' He turned to acknowledge Hihara, then Tsukimori who hadn't said a word to anybody.

Closing the door behind him, Tsuchiura was already lost in thought.

_Why? … Why? What does this mean? Does.. does that guy really love her? But then again, would I have done the same thing? Why am I so.. so.. _Sighing in anger, Tsuchiura exited the hospital and made his way back home, a brutal battle of words and emotions in his head. Shock. Anger. Irritation. Confusion. Sadness. Could all these feelings be playing around just because of what Tsukimori did for Kahoko?

_But… why?_

**Okay 5****th**** chapter finished. did you like it? … I'm sorry if you were offended by um the two nurses. Please don't take offense by it, it's their personality I swear!**

**oh and btw… jap people don't talk like those two do they? … my bad. please excuse that :D oh, don't forget to review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Short-ish chapter. Enjoy!**

Take two. After her little sidetracked visit with Hihara and Tsuchiura, she was almost 100% sure she was ready. Those usual butterflies returned again, yet she tried to divert her mind to other, more important matters. Once again on the same strip of street where she had met Hihara a few weeks ago, Kahoko rounded the corner to find the looming building of the hospital. It had been 2 weeks since she visited the hospital. 2 weeks. That was even longer than the period of time between the previous visits. Was it really okay to go in now? _No. _She mentally told herself, _you must go there; don't think twice, you need to do this! _Taking an unnecessary deep breath, she entered through the automatic doors to be greeted by the welcoming cool blast of the air conditioner. She retraced the steps she had taken to get to Tsukimori's room as the people around her became a blur in her peripheral vision. As she strode along the long hallway to get to his room, she arrived and drew in another breath as she knocked quietly at the door. There was silence. No answering call, no rustle of sheets. She peered in through the frosted window hoping to get an answer. Instead, Kahoko gasped in horror. Her eyes widened at the misty sight before her, though there was no mistaking it. The bed was empty. The machines and wires had disappeared. The bed was made, the sheets crinkle free. The lights were off. It was as if no one had even slept there, had ever recovered from an operation there. She simply stood there, taking in everything she needed to take in. An empty room; ready for a next patient and no trace of the previous person. It could only mean.. _No.. no.. NO! Impossible… _Her beloved violin dropped to the floor in a disruptive clatter, her forgotten music scattered everywhere. She tried the door; it was unlocked. Shaky feet led her to the edge of the bed. The same edge where she had sat, crying while being held by Tsukimori, 3 weeks ago. 3 weeks. _It can't be.. he can't be… _Unannounced tears freely flowed from her face as she tried to grasp this sudden news. _B-but no one said anything.. _The tears splattered on the sheets, soaking a little spot as she cried and cried. _But I have no evidence to base this on.. _Her voice inside of her reasoned, _he could have gone to the toilet? See, he could be back now!_ The devil of her mind started arguing. _Toilet? Impossible, why are the beds made then? Only when someone has.. has.. p-passed, then the bed would be made! _That ended the little mental battle as she started to sob uncontrollably. _Gather yourself, Kahoko! You can't do this here, at least go home first! _She lifted her head from the bed, revealing a soaking wet patch on the edge, as she lifted herself shakily. Her whole body slightly trembled as she blindly gathered her discarded violin and collected pieces of paper she presumed was hers. She had a sudden hope of inspiration amidst her tears as she stumbled to the service desk.

'A-ano, d-do you k-know w-where T-Tsukimori-kun is?' She barely managed between her sniffs.

'Tsukimori..kun? Sorry, I don't keep tabs on him, but I saw a cleaner go into one room, I think room 16, to make the bed and clean the room. Cleaners normally do that when someone has passed or –' the woman abruptly stopped herself, as Kahoko broke into a run, forcing herself out of the confinements of the hospital. She wasn't thinking, she was looking but not seeing, hearing but not listening. Her world was going round and round, yet she felt she was stationary, unable to move at all, watching everyone about their daily business as her feet took her zombie state of mind back home.

'– or when they go on walks around the hospital with the help of nurses...' The woman at the desk finished quietly to herself.

_He can't be. It's impossible. There's no way… He-He was fine 2 weeks ago! A-An infection maybe? But why? If he didn't protect me, none of this would have happened. If I didn't let myself get so easily swayed by that insane person, if, if, I didn't even play in the park that day, if.. if.. if I hadn't even joined the concours, Tsukimori-kun wouldn't be… DEAD!_

That single word, she had finally let herself say in her mind, had devastating effects.

She reached her home, stumbling through the empty house and falling clumsily on her bed. It was there she cried in hysteria, because she needed to. To get everything out, to feel that guilt that had constantly nagged at her every day, that it had been her fault right from the start. She let herself cry, to not think anymore, but to let built up tears of frustration escape. She lay there, sprawled and still in her clothes she wore outside, and her cries softly mellowed out into hiccupped sobs. She fell asleep soon after, but even so, one thought swam around in her head.

She would never get to perform to him.

* * *

'Oh, what's this?' the nurse bent down to pick up a loose piece of paper at the entrance to Room 16.

Turning it around in her hand, she looked in bewilderment at what was written on the paper.

'Ne, Tsukimori-san, do you know what this is?' She handed the sheet to the boy in a wheelchair.

The boy took the sheet from his nurse, recognizing it as sheet music but nearly choked at the title;

_Ave Maria. Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828). _Down the bottom, it neat handwriting read the words: _Hino Kahoko._

_This is.. Hino's? But what is this doing here? And why only the first page of the song?_

Tsukimori was wheeled to his bed, where he proceeded to climb with difficulty, back under the sheets. He held that single sheet of music, clutching it delicately within his long slender fingers. Once comfortably in a sitting position back on the bed, the nurse positioned the machines back next to him and excused herself; leaving him in his confused thoughts. He looked around the dark room, searching for any other clues that might have given away the fact that Kahoko had possibly come. He found none. His eyes were brought down to the paper in his hands. He sighed, putting his hands under the sheets to keep warm. He went to place the sheet back on the little table provided when his hand swept across something cold on his bed. Cold and wet. He lifted his body to inspect whatever it was and gasped a little. A fairly large wet patch was slowly drying on his covers as he looked closer to try and decipher what it actually was. On both sides of the wet patch, were depressions, probably from something pressing down on the sheets for a long period of time. The wet patch itself was on a large dent in the bed. One large wet patch in a depression, with two on either side. Tsukimori pictured a person's body in that position and his eyes widened at his conclusion. There would be a head, heavily on the bed, the cause of the wet patch possibly from the eyes, and elbows on either side, supporting the person's body so it would not fall. A position a person would carry out when crying. Someone had entered his room, knelt on the side of his bed and cried. Tsukimori didn't want to believe it though, he couldn't. Cried? Over him? But who? Even though asking such a trivial question, an answer had already formed in his mind. The person, who cried on the side of his empty bed, was the same person who dropped that sheet of music. Hino Kahoko. He tried to picture the reason for why she would cry, what she would've seen when she entered. He was probably still on his recuperation walk around the hospital when she came, but he vaguely remember the lights being turned off, and when he had arrived, the sheets being made by the cleaners. His drips and tubes had followed him on his little journey which meant the room looked as though it hadn't anyone in there. His quick mind drew only one conclusion, the same conclusion she had thought of only hours before.

_No… It can't be… She can't possibly think I'm dead! No… Hino.. come back! Why are you making me feel this way? Why do I care so much that you need to know I'm here? _

That night, Tsukimori Len did not sleep at all.

**Hah. Hah. Hah. Did I scare you? :) haha.. ahh I'm such a kid. Eh, well it was kind of ..sudden wasn't it? I'm sorry. Oh well, please review? **


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